European Brand Debuts Vegan Shoes Made from Airbags

For its winter collection, Portugal-based vegan shoe brand NAE Vegan debuted a boot style made from upcycled nylon sourced from car airbags with soles crafted from old tires. The hand-stitched style uses animal-free glue and is more durable and comfortable than boots made with animal-based materials. Alex Pérez and his wife Paula started the company 10 years ago after identifying a gap in the market for stylish, comfortable vegan shoes. “We think that is very important to show to the people that today we can work with animal-friendly materials and have stronger shoes at the same time,” Alex Pérez tells VegNews. “All the products we manufacture are ethical and designed for the consumer and their daily comfort.” The brand also uses pineapple-based leather Piñatex in its designs and plans to debut new airbag-based styles (including sneakers and sandals) this summer. Ethical fashion brands have recently released vegan shoes made with novel, sustainable materials, including luxury shoe company VEERAH, which launched a shoe style made from upcycled apple peels earlier this month.

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